Welcoming arms
by baxter21
Summary: She walked away from the castle. Away from the mourners and her friends and towards the welcoming arms that would greet her in the forbidden forest. She is Alyssa Potter and this is how she died.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing of this world or anything related to it.**

**A/N: So my take on a Fem!Harry Battle of Hogwarts type one-shot. I was trying something new and may make another series out of it to replace another one like it. Read and Review!  
**

Welcoming Arms.  


It was a good death, she mused as she walked away from the castle and further into the forbidden forest towards the end. In the place of people she loved, that was the way she had wanted to go, much like her mum and just like her dad. They sacrificed their lives so that she may live a happy life;now, she would do the same for the people she had left in the castle behind her who were mourning the dead. She hoped, she wished with every piece of her being that this would be it, that after this their would be no more death in her name or anything like this. Ron and Hermione would marry and have two kids with bushy ginger hair and play Quidditch and read every book they could get their hands on. And her own love? He wanted him to move on, to remember her and what she had done but to move on with his life, find some girl fall in love marry and do all the things they had talked about doing together when the war was over.

Smiling softly to herself she walked past the clearing where she had first met Aragog, the giant spider with Ron. She reached into her pocket and rubbed a dirty finger over the cold shiny metallic surface that lay in her palm. She never did work out what the inscription had meant on the Snitch. _I open at the close. _Then she smiled again, and gave a short chuckle. Gingerly she pressed the golden ball to her lips before breathing the words she had been prepared to say for years to say.

"_I'm ready to die_" And she was, maybe at some point he could have kidded herself that she would make it out okay with the sun in her face looking outwards towards a future with no war or fighting in the foreseeable area, but not now. She knew what she had to do and she would do it. Looking down she saw the words flash brightly before a crack appeared and the snitch popped open and in the center of one of the halves lay a simple gemstone with the Deathly Hallows Symbol etched into it, and a large crack running through the center of it.

The resurrection stone.

Teh black stone gleamed up at her reflecting the moonlight that had broken through the trees. Smiling with tears pricking the corners of her eyes,s he placed it in the palm of her hand and turned it three times. And then like a childhood fantasy, the ghost like apparitions of her parents and her pseudo uncles appeared. The quartet smiled at the girl in front of them and she smiled back, she looked at her parents greedily drinking in their every curve from the way her dads nose was slightly crooked to the way her mothers nose crinkled when she smiled.

"Hello Prongslet" Her dad said to her as her mother smiled warmly at her, and for once she could see what everyone had said, she had her mothers eyes and smile but her father's hair and knees. "Mum, Dad" She whispered afraid that is she spoke too loud for fear it would come to an end.

"What! No mention of your favourite Godfather" Sirius cried in mock outrage smiled at him as Remus laughed the she turned to the old werewolf, "Teddy won't get to meet you" She said as she felt the guilt crush her like a tonne of bricks on her shoulders.

"I'm hoping the rest of them can help him know who his parents are" He said and she nodded vehemently "Of course, He'll know who you are, both of you" She vowed then she said in a more quiet voice "So, this is it"

Her mother smiled sadly at her and said "Darling, We are so proud, So very proud of you"

"Even if you are in love with a Hufflepuff" Her dad added and then quickly added when her mother turned to glare at him "Who's a very nice boy who I'm glad made you happy"

"Does it hurt" She whispered more tearfully, she wanted to go down looking him in the eyes, she wanted to stare deep into the red cat-like eyes of the man who taken everything from her who and destroyed her existence. And she would until the green filled her vision and she let go of this realm and joined the others on the other side.

"It's like falling asleep" Remus said softly She closes her eyes and chokes back a sob as she prepares herself to die.

"You'll be with me" She asks, immediately hating how she sounds vulnerable but she needed them. When she had waked into the forest she was determined to die, to rid the world of the evil that was Voldemort but she began to second guess herself what if she turned tail and ran? She didn't need to die for this did she? The questions flooded her mind no matter how hard she tried to squash them down

"Until the end" Her dad answered and she nodded and stepped into the clearing where Voldemort and his followers were gathered and uttered the last words she would say on this mortal coil.

"You weren't"

* * *

Cedric Diggory watched the Weasley family mourn the deaths of one of their members. His parents were in the hall somewhere offering help to the injured and peace for the dying. He hadn't seen Alyssa anywhere and he was worried. Everyone had heard the message for her and knowing her, she would go out and meet her end to save the rest of them.

He looked out one of the arches that served as windows and looked at the bridge that lead to the forest. The dawn was breaking, ending what had seemed to be an endless night. In the distance at the start of the bridge he could see a crowd of death eaters forming;Then the death eaters and a captured Hagrid were coming back and this time they had their leader. Voldemort was walking into Hogwarts. He quickly alerted everyone to hat was happening and they ran outside the trio of Ron Hermione and Cedric at the front. As Hagrid came closer they could see her held a suspicious lump in his arms.

It was Alyssa. Alyssa Potter was dead.

She was dead, gone. A light breeze flew over them making tendrils of her black hair float carelessly in it and he realised that never again would he stroke the silky tresses of her hair again. Or feel her plump lips press against his own. he looked at her petite but grimy hands that still held her wand, hands that had once held his own or rolled out dough when she was in a cooking mood. She looked peaceful, at least in death she had found the peace that she desperately craved for in her life.

"Alyssa Potter is dead!" Voldemort announced grinning widely before laughing in victory. He flicked his wand and her body slumped to the floor her hair spread out like a halo on the decimated courtyard of Hogwarts.

Behind him he could hear people sobbing including a loud Hermione and Mrs Weasley who was sobbing unabated onto the battlefield. Cedric stood, numb to everything but his girlfriends body, his soul. He heard the snake faced man make an offer to anyone who would join him and then Neville stepped forward and said in a loud voice that carried over the entire area they were stood in

"_It doesn't matter that she's gone. People die every day. Friends, family. Yeah, we still lost Alyssa tonight. She's still with us, in here"_ he said pointing to his heart_ "So's Fred, Remus, Tonks... they didn't die in vain. But YOU will. 'Cause you're wrong! Her heart did beat for us! For all of us! It's not over!_" He shouted before raising the Sword of Gryffindor in a triumph. Cedric felt his words ignite fire in him, Alyssa was dead. He was going to avenge her and then, live for her. He would never date another or marry another but he would dedicate his life doing everything that he could to fulfill the dreams they both had shared together.

The battle began again and people ran inside to the great hall, not noticing their hero's body had vanished.

Spells flew in all directions as people prepared to end this one way or another. In the corner Trewlaney was throwing glass orbs onto death eaters that consumed them into mist making them cough and gag until they stumbled upon the vines of the devils snare that Professor sprout had planted. Then an inhuman screech sounded as Neville sliced the head of Nagini, the last horcrux.

Cedric ran towards Hermione and Ron who had witnessed the demise of Bellatrix at the hands of Mrs Weasley. The three ran towards Neville who slashed his way through the crowd with the sword held high above his head. Then in the middle of the hall the crowd parted and they turned to see the man himself pointing the elder wand at the three of them.

"How nice, the two traitors and their Mudblood friend want to avenge their little friend" He mocked as the fighting continued around them

"And now, prepare to die" He said raising the wand to point at Cedric's chest he stared into the red cat-like eyes of the man who had killed his love and shielded his two younger friends with his body, slightly so they didn't suspect a thing.

Then as Voldemort reared his arm back to utter the life ending curse a loud bang and several red sparks sounded from behind everyone, on top of the teachers platform.

Stood with her arm raised and her wand still showering everyone. When everyone looked at her and the fighting had ceased she jumped down sending clouds of dust spiraling out beneath her feet.

"You're dead" Voldemort said shocked

"What can I say? It didn't stick" She said for the first time that people had seen the great dark lord Voldemort seemed shocked for words, he had killed the brat not half an hour ago. Recovering he simply snarled "No matter, I will kill you again and this time you shan't be getting up again"

"If you think you can" She said "But before you do that, Why don't you think for a little" She said

"Why you little" He spat before she cut him off

"You never learn do you? There's only one way this can go and it's not looking good for you" She said

"I have the elder wand" He said triumphantly

"But don't you see! You never learn! Owning the wand isn't enough, having it, holding it isn't enough. The wand chooses the Wizard and the wand you're holding chose a new master long before you laid your hands on it"

"Snape? I killed the old dungeon bat not three hours ago" He said once again confident in his victory

"Wrong again!"

"It matters not! Whether Snape is the true master or not I have claimed this wand before you managed to get your little fingers onto it"

"Snape was never the wands true master, No that wand chose a master moments before Snape killed him. The wands true master is, Draco Malfoy" She said and from where she could see, Hermione had put the pieces together and was looking open-mouthed at her friend.

"Then I will kill him too!" The snake man spat at her and she smiled at him before shaking her head.

"Last chance Riddle, Give it up. Be man...Try for some remorse" She said

"You DARE!" He shouted

"Yeah...I do. Because I disarmed Draco Malfoy weeks ago." She said and smiled again as Voldemort finally put the clues together "So it all comes down to this, doesn't it? Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does … I am the true master of the Elder Wand"

"LIES" He spat again at her. And she held out her wand in preparation in a swift moment the man who had haunted both her life and her dreams screamed "AVADA KEDAVRA" And she retaliated quickly with a loud

"EXPELLIARMUS" In the center of the great hall the two spells collided in a stream of pure energy. It crackled and sent out short lightning strikes that sometimes connected with bricks sending them shattering into dust.

The two walked stiffly each holding their wands with two hands both sweating from the exertion of holding the spell active for so long. The ground beneath them heated up and Alyssa felt the soles of her already worn trainers begin to melt slightly. The floor began to crack as the heat sent wave after wave of power through the hall. In an almighty crash the ceiling which had hung on by a thread broke through revealing the freshening dawn and the chirp of birds into the arena as the two mortal enemies battled.

And then, the tides turned and Alyssa felt the pressure on her own stolen wand ease as she pushed with all her might and saw the red slowly edge the sickly green spell back towards the caster. Then it in a flash, it was done and she fell to her knees. She looked up and saw the same thing happen to Voldemort. Except he was slowly crumbling. Without his Horcruxes he was dying and aging like he should have done the past years that he had cheated death. Then a thud in front of her and the Elder wand stared back at her.

She picked it up from the dirty ground and held it tight as she slowly stood on legs that felt as though they had been replaced by a honeydukes marshmallow sweet. She walked over to where he had fallen and looked into his eyes and kicked his face glad that when she did it burst into dust. Behind her, the hall erupted into chaos as people cheered and finished up the last of the death eaters. She didn't look back as she walked out the door and into the courtyard and stood on the bridge facing the rising sun.

She took her broken Holly and Phoenix wand out form the pouch and waved the Elder wand over it and instantly it repaired. She slipped it into her hand and felt the warmth return again. She looked down at the Elder wand with distaste, then she pressed it against her knee and snapped it in half before throwing the two half's into the crevice below the bridge. With that wand it would bring trouble and frankly, she'd had enough to last her a lifetime. Then as she basked in the warm sunlight she felt a hand at the small of her back and turned to see Cedric looking at her. She smiled and kissed him softly pouring her love into it.

"We did it. We really did it" He said looking with his friends as the sun rose above the grounds

"There's still rebuilding to do" Hermione said

"Can I push her in" Ron groaned "I just wanna sleep" He said smiling as Hermione glared at him

"I guess we all could...If we wanted to. What are we gonna do" Cedric asked Alyssa who had yet to say anything after completing her destiny

"Yeah, I mean you're not the chosen one anymore, you just gotta live like a person. Hows that feel Lyssa" Ron said smiling as the four friends looked onwards.

Saying nothing she felt a small smiled grow before she beamed her eyes glittering as the sunlight reflected from them. She turned to her friends smiling and hugged them, they had ages to figure it out. Years even. But now, like Ron, she just wanted to sleep.

_19 Years later_

"Bag? Coat? Scarf? Owl?" Hermione asked her eleven year old daughter who sighed and flipped her red hair over her shoulder in exasperation

"Mum! It's fine! You can just send me anything I need!" She said and Hermione smiled at her daughter. Rose Weasley was perfect in her own eyes and she had finally understood her mothers old expression of '_A mother always knows_' after years of her own children trying to hide things from her.

"Where are they?" Her oldest, Hugo, said worriedly playing with the spine of the book he had grabbed for the train journey, he had inherited his love of books from his mother and his love of sport form his dad much to the joy of both parents. Rose seemed to be a carbon copy of the twins and Hermione dreaded when she met the the Potter boys, Hogwarts she was sure was in for 7 years of hell.

"It'll be fine, See they're here now" Ron said from behind the two large Hogwarts trunks.

In the distance they saw a young red haired girl came running towards Hugo and hugged him tightly "Lilly! How many times do I need to tell you! Be careful" Her mother said from behind her.

"Sorry mum" She said sheepishly blushing when she released Hugo from the hug shaking her head and smiling at her daughter she watched as she ran off to join her two friends, Teddy Lupin and Hugo Weasley.

Behind her she heard her husband of 17 years say "They never learn do they" Smiling she shook her head and kissed him chuckling when her two twins gagged. James and Sirius Potter were looking at their parents in mock disgust. They were in their second year and if the letters home were an indication lived up to the marauder names they had been given.

Behind her, her youngest Amos Potter looked around at everyone when he noticed they began to stare at his mum. "Mum, Why are people looking at us" He asked she smiled down at her youngest and knelt down and said "Well...Ron here's pretty famous aint' that right Ron" She asked as the red haired man nodded earnestly.

"Promise you'll write" He said fidgeting with his clothes, a trait he had picked up from her.

"I will sweetheart" She said "Besides, your dad will be with you and I visit him every other day, You'll see me plenty and anyways you and your friends will want to be alone without your mum being there"

"No! I'd never forget you" He insisted then when he saw Rose kissed her cheek and together the pair walked onto the train talking of book they had read. Standing she brushed away a small tear as she did every year when she said goodbye to her children. She felt Cedric put his hand on her lower back and she smiled.

"Everything good" He asked as they waved tot he departing train

"Yeah...Everything perfect" She said and as she lowered her arm she brushed past the faded scar on her had faded away and no pain had emanated from their since the dusting of the man who had caused it. Smiling she turned and walked out of the station with her two best friends and her husband.

Nineteen years had passed since the end of the war and all was well.


End file.
